Migrants in St. Petersburg will no longer be allowed to work as couriers, according to a decree signed by city governor Alexander Beglov on July 28, 2025. The measure prohibits employers from hiring foreign nationals who work under patent-based permits for delivery jobs, the governor’s press service announced.
The ban adds courier services — including food delivery by various means of transport — to an existing restriction on migrant employment in the taxi industry. Officials say foreign nationals make up only a small share of the city’s courier workforce, so the move will not disrupt the delivery market.
“The delivery sector is growing rapidly, creating a significant volume of uncontrolled and informal employment,” the administration said in a statement. “This decision aims to combat shadow employment, improve service quality and safety, and create new jobs for Russian citizens, particularly young people and students.”
The new regulation will take effect 10 days after its official publication.
Meanwhile, s it had been reported earlier, St. Petersburg lifted taxi and delivery ban for migrant workers on July 3, 2025, citing the economic impracticality of such restrictions.
Initially, city authorities proposed barring foreigners from working in these industries, but the decision was reconsidered due to a severe driver shortage. Experts warned that a full ban could have driven service prices in Russia’s northern capital up by as much as 50%, severely limiting accessibility.
In recent years, many Russian regions have imposed restrictions on migrant employment in specific industries; by early 2025, more than half of the country’s regions had such measures in place.
